Steering-wheel.



E. L, VON RhR.

SXEERING WHEEL.

APPucATioN man JUNE x8. ww

lm mmm De@ 16,1919.

ERNEST L. von RAI-IR, 0F HAVERHILL, vMASSAGEU'SETTS.

srnsnmewnnnn LSZFLIM.

. Application ined June 1s, 1919.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, ERNEST L. voN Rai-rn, a Citizen of the' UnitedStates, residing at Haverhill, inthe county of Essex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSteering- Wheels, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements insteering wheels for motor vehicles and the like, and it has for itsobjects among others to provide a simple and cheap, yet durable andellicient construction of steering wheel applicable yto steering postsof the different makes of machines, with means for locking the wheel inplace, the construction being such that the same may be unlocked whenleaving the car so that the steering wheel will turn freely withoutturning the wheels of the car should an unauthorized person attempt todrive away with the car.

Heretofore it has been proposed to `provide means whereby the steeringwheel is locked to the steering post, necessitating a particularconstruction of post and, hence, the steering wheel is not applicable todierent makes of-machines.

My improved device is exceedingly simple, of few parts,.those readilyassembled andnot liable to get out of order.

Other objects and advantages of the' in vention .will hereinafter appearand thev novel features .thereof will be particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which,with the numerals of reference marked thereon, form .a part of thisspecification, and in willich* Figure 1 is a top plan oi my improvedsteering wheel applied to a steering post.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section with a part broken away.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the centrall portion or cylinder removed, withthe steering wheel in position.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts througrhmi't thedifferent views.

Referring to the drawings,

l designates the outer or rim portion rolf the steering,r wheel which isdesigned to be 'grasped by the hands of the driver, and 2 are the radialmembers connectinga the same with the annular member 3.

4: is a cylindrical member ldesigned to fit Within the annular member 3,having at its Specification of Letters-Patent.

Patented Dec. 16, 1919. serial No. 304,999.

of a lock of any suitable nature. This lock'v is carried in the annularmember 3, as seen best in F ig. 2, the barrel 10 thereof being seated ina chamber or the like 11 in said annular member and provided with a,key--` hole 12 adapted-to receive a key 13, in the present instance thesamebeing shown as of.

the type known as the Yale lock, for an obvious purpose.

The member 4 is provided with a. central polygonal opening `lll designedto receive the correspondingly shaped portion 15 of the steering post16. The upper end of the steering post beyond the polygonal portion maybe provided with a cylindrical portion 17 screw-threaded to receive the.ornamental cap 18, as seen in Fig. 2, if desired.

19 is a ring ttmg in the space formed by 'the shoulders 6 and 7 andsecured to the member 4 by suitable means, as shown at 20,

-these last-named means being removable for the purpose ofdisassen'ibling the parts when desired. When in position, the ringserves to hold the parts' in assembled position.

If desired, the central member, either the member l or the ring 19, maybe provided with some indicating character such as an arrow 21, as seenin Fig. l, to indicate when the parts are in proper position so that thebolt of the lock maybe thrown into the opening 8 of the member 4.

Tn practice, the wheels are made for the market with' the center holesfor the steering posts made to fit the dill'erent makes of machines, sothat one can simply buy the steering' wheel, place` it upon a steeringpost and no modification or alteration of the latter is necessary. Whenthe car is to be used, thekey is turned so as to throw the bolt intolocking position, as indicated in Fig. 2, when the wheel operates asusual. `When the driver leaves the car, he turnsI the key so as to throwthe bolt out of the opening 8 in the member 4l so that the inner outer'portion may beiturned completely? around without moving the innerportio'nfl and, consequently, no motion/is lmparted to the'wheels andthecar cannot be run. W hen the driver again venters the car, he simplythrows the bolt intollocked position the Wheel is ready for use.

Modifications in detalmayjbe resorted to -without departing from thespirit of the invention'or sacrificing any of lts advantages.

l. A steering Wheel'applicable to an ordinary steering; post andcomprising an' annular member with a 'steering rim and a looking member,and a'cylindrica'l member applioable to an ordinary steering post andhaving aperipheral opening to receive the member having an annular angeagainst bolt of the lockingk member, said cylindrical vvhic'h the loweredge of said. annular mem-fI lber rests, and meanssecured to the upperface of the cylindrical member and over lapping the annular" member.

1 2. A steering Wheel applicable to anordil .nary steerlng" post andcomprising an annular member With a steering rim and a lock'- ingrmember, a cylindrical 'member applicable to an ordinary steeringpost'and hav- 'ing a peripheral opening to receive the .bolt- -of the,lockingmember' and with a flange at" Aits lower portion and a flange andshoulder at its upper portion, the 'lower flange adapted to support saidannularmember,

anda ring seated von the upper flange andl engaging said shoulderand'overlapplng the adjacent edge off said .annular member.

In testimony whereof I-afx my signature.l

ERNEST L. voN RAHR.v

